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Friday, 29 May 2009

I must admit that I am struggling this morning after a work jolly where the drinks were flowing free but I'm excited because I've packed my bag and will be leaving for Manchester when the clock strikes five. In an ideal world though my day before I leave London would involve me lying on my sofa watching a film in my darkened living room instead of pretending to work in a hot, loud office. After reading the Mr Peacock interview with Style Salvage favourite, Kwannum Chu yesterday if I were at home, I would be watching the wonderfully stylish and weird Savage Grace. I talked about the film soon after watching it last summer but if you've not had a chance to see it for yourself it is well worth it for its style alone! The film is a tale of money and madness, incest and matricide and tells the saga of Brooks and Barbara Baekeland - heirs to the Bakelite plastics fortune - and their son Anthony, unfolding against a glamorous international background.

When asked who his style icons were, the always wonderfully turned out Kwannum responded with Sebastien Flyte from Brideshead Revisited and Anthony Baekland from Savage Grace. The character played by Eddie Redmayne is one of the most stylish men I have seen on the silver screen for as long as I can remember. Comparisons can certainly be drawn with The Talented Mr Ripley but I believe this film has more style substance. I will leave you with the best style related one liner I have ever heard which was uttered by Anthony whilst declaring his suit was Anderson & Sheppard..."One can walk in to Gieves but one has to be walked into Anderson & Sheppard."

Thursday, 28 May 2009

I would be hard pushed to find an image that makes me any happier than the above shot. No amount of cute kittens, puppies, or even Cesc Fabregras lifting a trophy and the like could compete to a simply wrapped present (albeit a gift to myself) garnished with tasty and free penny sweets. You may recall that I was riding the wave of pop up store excitement earlier this month and was particularly enamored with the opening of 143. This two week store reacquainted me with Silver Spoon Attire, which is a label I've heard so much about but up until recently never had the chance to examine up close and personal. Over the gloriously sunny weekend we decided to shopping and as we were slightly overcome by the heat we sought shade in this store and it was a good thing we did too, because this was the last weekend that the store was open. It must have been a good two weeks because the shops stock was greatly depleted but I spotted the shirt that caught my attention on the opening night and thankfully it was the last one and in size 'smedium'! I'm so pleased to have finally acquired my first Silver Spoon Attire item. The label is known for providing comfort through using fabrics that are usually reserved for more casual styles and manipulating them to be structured and more tailored and this sits perfectly with my preferred Spring style.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside (on my balcony)...my new purchase worn with rolled up Uniqlo wool trousers and now, slightly battered suede bstore lace ups.

The blue denim chambray button down polo shirt with patchwork paneled pocket fits in nicely in my softly tailored Spring/Summer wardrobe. The latest issue of h(r)r collective (fast becoming one of my favourite online reads) take material interest in chambray and rightfully so. Did you know that it is now most common in shirts but was first designed for sunbonnets in Northern France? The natural soft tone of the fabric is what got me hooked and I can vouch that this button down polo feels damn good to the touch and feels even better on. Whilst wearing it I feel I should be strolling down the promenade with a fast melting 99 in hand, oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

RCA's MA graduate show is one of the most exciting places to discover the fashion stars of the future and Dazed Digital recently previewed the RCA's Class of 2009. The thirty six MA students, in menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories are hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow alumni, including Ossie Clark, Philip Treacy and Christopher Bailey. More recent graduates who are making an impact on the fashion world right now include Erdem, Holly Fulton, milliners Justin Smith and Soren Bach, and most importantly for us, menswear designers Aitor Throup, James Long and Katie Eary.

The show takes place at the College in the Henry Moore Gallery on 10 June 2009 (more info here) but DD exclusively got a sneak preview of some of the newest and freshest menswear and womenswear talent that will be unleashed this year. Having only seen a few images I don't think it is fair to pass any judgement just yet (other than to say, I can't wait to see more) so here are a selection of designs alongside the graduates own words on their collections...

Alex Mattson: "This collection is my fantastical vision and of a gang called ‘The Sixth Sun’. The Sixth Sun gang is a Mexican biker gang that has reverted to ancient Mayan/Aztec beliefs and rituals after realizing that their ancestors had predicted the future."

Charlie Ross: "This collection embodies the rebirth of a destroyed civilisation - playing on the moral - 'to continue living the way we do will ultimately lead to our undoing'." All the fabrics and materials used in the collection are recycled, reclaimed, by-products or are eco-friendly.

Mason Jung: "Sartorial Burden - My inspiration is based on the antipathy towards formal wear for its fossilised forms and attributes of restricting individuality."

Jasper Sinchai Chaprajong: "This is the journey of my past-present-future of love. Ideas come from relationships, the first feeling of love and the colours associated with it, blue for man, yellow for woman, mix the two you get purple, but then what happens after love when a relationship breaks down? Is loving really that simple?"

Kimchoong Wilkins: "Referencing both the anatomical drawings of Vesalius and the eroticism of Hokusai, the collection revolves around skin, sinew, muscle, and bone. It pumps sex back into a craft that has become lust-less, prompting arousal and addiction for men's knitwear by examining the relationship between seduction and repulsion."

Bronwen Marshall: "I was inspired by the horrific facial injuries of World War I, where recognisable features were distorted and made abstract. I have taken other beautiful and natural forms like horses and birds and combined their organic shapes with geometric futuristic patterning. I wanted to create a collection that captured the aggression and sadness felt by these men."

The RCA’s MA show is always packed with spectacular, individual work and the above images suggest that this trend is sure to continue this. I just cannot wait to see the complete collections in June and am a little annoyed that I can't take the afternoon off...oh well, in the meantime I will just keep re-reading the feature on DD.

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

For those of you who are a little worried that the blog has turned in to some kind of Royal style propaganda machine I thought I'd best serve up something a little different and what could be more different than some American work wear. I encountered look book images from Engineered Garments AW09 line over on h(y)r daily and as the sun has vanished this morning and been replaced by a damp, grey sky I didn't think it was too perverse to share them with you.

Unsurprisingly there is a fair bit of wool; herringbone and worsted, NYCO Ripstop, cotton flannel and brushed twill throughout the collection and it is the interplay and layering of these fabrics which excite me most. Here are a selection of my favourite looks where details taken from classic American spotswear, outdoor clothing and military uniforms are updated and combined to create something special.

The looks are styled precisely to my taste. I am not a huge follower of this classic American sportswear, the rebirth of which was a big surprise to many (me included) and even to Engineered Garments' very own Daiki Suzuki but his label (along with his Woolrich Woolen Mills) have continued to lead the way and managing to turn my head in the process. Daiki coveted American sportswear whilst growing up in Japan because to him, clothing which came out of the US was an interesting blend of design innovation and the latest in industrial manufacturing. Daiki makes clothes which are meant to survive with the wearer which are designed to become a second skin, to me this is worth celebrating.

”I was in fact produced as a leader of fashion, with the clothiers as my showmen and the world as my audience.” The Duke of Windsor.

Following on quite nicely from my earlier post on Prince Charles are these wonderful images which offer a sneak peek inside the wardrobe of the most obvious regal style icon, the Duke of Windsor. Regular readers will know that I am somewhat obsessed with wardrobes ever since I undertook the mammoth task or organsing my sorry excuse for that particular piece of furniture. I recently stumbled across a great piece on the Duke Of Windsor written by JP over on Black Watch which uses images and quotes from a number of sources covering the Sotheby's auction of his wardrobe in 1998.

”Not since his forebear King George IV in the 1820’s had a monarch lavished so much care and expense on his own personal appearance,” Ms. Taylor, the Sotheby’s specialist who spent seven years preparing for this sale. ” He bought clothes of the finest quality and expected them to last a lifetime, which in fairness, many of them did.” The Duke used the same tailor, Scholte of Savile Row in London, to make his jackets from 1919 to 1959.

The Duke’s wardrobe spans 60 years, because he never lost his trim figure (his waist went from 29 inches to 31 inches over a half century) and he certainly championed the art of wardrobe building. A 1960 inventory of the Duke of Windsor’s closet recorded fifteen evening suits, fifty five lounge suits and three formal suits (with two pairs of trousers for each), along with more than one hundred pairs of shoes including a superb collection of velvet slippers by Peal & Co.

Diana Vreeland, the former editor of Vogue, had strong views about the Duke. ''Did he have style?'' Vreeland once asked rhetorically. ''The Duke of Windsor had style in every buckle on his kilt, every check of his country suits.''

Sunday, 24 May 2009

On Friday morning as I was hurrying my late ass to work I received a text message from Dan Jenkins to check out the Daily Mail for an interesting style piece on Prince Charles. Now, the Mail is a paper which I freqently catch a glimpse of in newsagents and even the shortest of looks forces me to walk away shaking my head in bemused disbelief. Ultimately, I tend to avoid handling it at all costs but thanks to the wonders of the Internet I do not have to taint my fingers with this publication for the far right of centre and can share its contents with you. The article One's antique clothes show: How Prince Charles has always been the King of recycling is well worth reading and to discuss further.

His suits are unmodishly double-breasted. His dinner jacket is cut like a slouchy cardigan. His ties are almost comically narrow and tightly knotted. His morning suit is a slightly gauche, grey-on-grey, called a 'pick and pick' fabric; the lapels of his waistcoat are accessorised with dandy-ish, white 'slips' or 'demis', which attach to the inside of the garment with buttons.

In light of the above (unfair) sartorial criticism throughout his adult life it is somewhat remarkable that Prince Charles could be considered as the most stylish man on the planet. You might recall that the April issue of Esquire declared Prince Charles as the worlds best dressed man. Esquire described him as "perfectly turned out", adding that "admirably, the prince keeps his wardrobe in appropriate style and we're told he has a room laid out like a tailor's shop. Of course, the prince comes from a significant family line of royal clothes horses, but where his great uncle, the dapper Duke of Windsor, played with bright colour, flirted with fashion, and even started the odd trend, the current heir to the throne is a dab hand at solid yet fully accessorized classic English style. His image riffs on a quintessentially perky British look, which is essentially based around smart tailoring with dapper touches.

His classic English style which has not always had its plaudits has been custom made for him by a mouth watering list of fine British craftsmen including Anderson and Sheppard, Gieves and Hawkes on Savile Row, and veteran custom shirt-makers Budd and Turnbull and Asser on Jermyn Street. The Prince certainly has good taste and is not afraid to invest in quality.

When we spoke to Patrick Grant during the launch of E. Tautz we discussed the art of wardrobe building and Charles (Can I even call him that? I can't keep writing the Prince...) is certainly a practitioner of this idea. There is something very charming about building a collection of clothes, where every piece has a position in your wardrobe. If any item requires attention and repairs then these alterations are made, the item is not thrown to the bottom of the wardrobe and forgotten about. The below paragraph demonstrates that the prince believes in the art of wardrobe building:

Clothes that never went out of fashion because they were never in fashion. Clothes that are over and above fashion - and which he is thus happy to wear for decades on end, repairing them as and when necessary.

Charles embarked on his art of wardrobe building in his early 20s. The collection of clothes and accessories has aged with him and he has continued to buy well throughout his adult life. As he has bought well made, crafted pieces then he can still wear them at sixty years old. I have no interest in a royal biography because his wardrobe will almost tell the story of his life. Just look at his shoes.

The Prince bought his first pair of Lobb shoes when he was twenty years old and is no doubt still wearing them today.

To make a pair of shoes is a lovingly laborious process involving a hand-made wooden last, eight pieces of leather and expert stitching techniques. You do not throw a pair of Lobb shoes out because they get old. The Prince has kept them, cherished them, and when needed has sent them off to be mended. Charles clearly loves wearing clothes with provenance, with a bit of a story to tell.

The Prince is shown wooden lasts by cobbler John Lobb during a visit to his workshop in London on January 23, 2009.

The Times covered a recent Royal Visit to John Lobb, in St James’s Street, where the Prince was shown the lasts (wooden rough models of foot shape and size) of customers including Queen Victoria, George V, the Queen and Prince Philip, not to mention those of Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra and, indeed, himself. To have a pair of bespoke shoes made takes six months for the first pair, and costs about £2,300 plus VAT.

Clarence House said that the Prince had had shoes made there in the past, and still sends shoes in for repair. For the visit, he wore a pair of black Oxfords made by Lobb 40 years ago – as the Prince said: “Quality will always count.” Of course we all might not be as privileged as the future King of England but we can certainly learn a thing or two from him about investing in quality, supporting craftsmanship and in building and maintaining a wardrobe to be proud of.

Friday, 22 May 2009

As the sun streams through my office turning it in to a sauna it feels so wrong to be ogling the AW09 collections but recent magazine issues make it impossible not to. I've still not managed to pick up a copy of VMAN but its contents has spread like wild fire. The latest offering from the issue is the Fall Forward editorial. Photographed by Terry Tsiolis and styled by Jay Massacret, the spread showcases the highlights from the thirteen designers who are helping to define the future of menswear today. Step forward and take a bow Stafano Pilati.

“The collection is a story of hybrids in proportion, function, and construction. It is centered around finding balance through contradiction.” Stefano Pilati.

There was so much fashion around during the AW shows. Menswear traditionally takes small small steps and it more about pieces than complete collections, but so many shows had big bold moves. Yves Saint Laurent was in my opinion the best show, and this view was shared by Charlie Porter. In fact a Twitter proclamation by the deputy editor of Fantastic Man read "just got slapped in the face by Stefano Pilati. In a good way. Oh GOD. YSL did curved fronts on oversize jackets and cut strict. Best show so far!" Charlie is rarely wrong and despite raising my expectations to a ridiculously high level, the show did not disappoint and the VMAN spread has reignited my excitement level.

Pilati's vision for the cold months contained clothing that was uncompromised and advanced in its thinking. What pleased me most about this collection was that it was made with with same spirit in which he does his womenswear shows. Pilati experimented with the male silhouette, not to the extremes of the Raf Simons for Jil Sander collections but undoubtedly more successfully - cropped jackets were paired with wide trousers, settling the boxy shape of jackets. I will continue to enjoy the sunshine but my day dreams might just return to this YSL collection from to time, the cold months looks less bleak with this YSL collection.

The Royal College of Art’s MA show is always packed with spectacular, individual work. Last year was no exception so why not spend a little time this weekend marvelling at the previous graduates' handiwork before the next class get their chance to showcase their talents!? Today the V&A opens a free exhibition which showcases work by a selection of graduates from the class of 2008 from Royal College of Art. This display features highlights from the selection fashion MA graduates' final collections and will reveal aspects of the design process. The exhibition will feature highlights from the graduates’ final collections and ranges from an oversize handbag to a leopard print suit (Katie Eary). It will also reveal aspects of their design process through preliminary sketches, illustrations, models and the finished garment.

Fifty five outfits and accessories from twenty seven designers are displayed in four sections - Concept, Form, Technique and Detail. Each section will explore the design stages the students go through to create their final collection from their inspiration to the finished garment, and will include preparatory drawings, design boards and photographs. It is worth repeating that this is a free exhibition and will be run in the Fashion Room right through to January 31st 2010.

Thursday, 21 May 2009

“Fashion finds its freedom in the art of individuals; NOT JUST A LABEL is a place for those who find their way off the beaten track, allowing them to express themselves in a community where everything goes...break the mould, redefine the expected, re-colour the palette, inspire and be inspired.”

During my morning slot of procrastination at work I stumbled across a new breed of online store over on Fashion156's Daily Blog. The Shop is a new online platform launched by Not Just A Label. This fashion forward designer platform brings together emerging graduates and design talent from over forty countries and gives us an opportunity to stumble across exciting design talent whilst of course offering an opportunity to buy their designs. The online initiative launches next week (28th May) and will feature one-off pieces from designers like Ute Ploier, Anna Aichinger, Husam El Odeh and many others.

The Shop is a fresh online concept providing access to unobtainable designer pieces from a wide selection of fashion brands. What excites me most about Not Just A Label is that it is a global business directory which showcases designers of the moment but at the same time nurtures new talent. Through a global showroom, the company offers a tool that can be used by designers to present themselves along with their collections. Competitive hurdles and barriers of expense impede many but this online store provides an outlet for budding design talent to blossom.

The first to host The Shop is Robin Schulié, head-buyer of Maria Luisa store in Paris and Unit F, the Austrian Association for Contemporary fashion. Diane Pernet (A Shaded View On Fashion) has been announced as the host in July. Each month thereafter the store will be headed by another leading industry figure. This is certainly one store to keep an eye on...online window shopping just got that bit more interesting!

The Fashionisto scanned a selection of awe inspiring images from DVMAN International from the 'Young Men at Sea' editorial and it has been picked up by a few fellow bloggers (most notably Dapper Kid). Photographer Kalle Gustafsson and stylist Oscar Arrsjo certainly captured my imagination because the spread is so different to what I've been used to seeing in recent months. My eyes have been somewhat conditioned by gaunt teenagers in pretty clothes so this editorial came as a refreshing change, like being splashed in the face with salty water. We have touched upon the interplay with men's style and social constructs of masculinity and how fashion often challenges the hegemonic ideas but this editorial with its rugged, bearded models harks back to a different time.

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

The latest issue of the wonderful Fashion156 went live this morning and I've been marvelling at the editorial since then. As I wrote in the featured article the word 'ethereal' is infrequently associated with menswear. Traditionally, menswear has a long lineage of garments made from heavy fabrics and cloth and conjures up images of stiff and somewhat restrictive cuts. Designers such as Lanvin's Ossendrijver and YSL's Pilati are just two of many designers who are constantly experimenting with new combinations and techniques to create new light fabrics which are truly out of this world. As the sun shines this is the time to shed off those heavy, constrictive fabrics and adopt a welcome lightness and delicacy. The editorial celebrate this idea and despite the ominous dark grey clouds hovering above, I want to float away with these images...

The above two images are my favourites from the spread because they nail what I'd like to be wearing as soon as it gets a little warmer. I am longing for the sun to shine long enough to make my first trip to Hampstead Heath of the year armed with my new Canon to take a few shots but in the meantime I will gaze at this shoot.

As in all of Guy and his teams' shoots there is a delightful mix of established names including Margiela and Marc Jacobs used side by side with exciting, young talent like Lou Dalton and recent graduates emerging on to the menswear scene including Edwards and Stavrou (which were both new names to me).

The Marc Jacobs white suit combined with the check vest demonstrates how relaxed and light modern tailoring can be. My only issue would be the constant fear of either sitting in or spilling something on myself which would bring me back down to reality.

The above image might be taking the theme a little to far but I've often been a little envious of Susie swooshing as she goes with fringed jackets and skirts, Stavrou made a splash at the LCF MA 2009 show and gave me a few ideas. Throughout his MA collection Stavrou worked with experimental fabrics such as carbon fibre to create a dark but daring collection which at the same time gave a sense of weightlessness.

As the grey, damp skies are (hopefully) replaced with warm, bright blue skies even the most familiar places feel out of this world so why not embrace and celebrate the change in season with ethereal ensembles such as the ones showcased here. We have been promised by the weathermen that temperatures will soar this Summer (I beleive that when I see it) so it makes sense for your sartorial choices to embrace light, layered fabrics where the components can all combine to create a look of almost insubstantiality. As Thomas Carlyse wrote, as impalpable or intangible as air; "figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away. As summer fast approaches it is time for your clothes to float and melt away.

Monday, 18 May 2009

As we enjoyed last Thursday's sartorial stalking of Daniel Jenkins so much it really is about time we administered the second dose. Here we follow Dan as he meets up with one of his favourite design talents - Satyenkumar - in London, explores the Welsh countryside, works at his Monmouth store and he even finds time to take us on a night out.

We appear to be in a period of Pop Up retail here in London and I for one am finding it a little difficult keeping up with the sprouting retail havens but am certainly enjoying the variety of stores to visit. My recent consumer adventures have felt like a carousel ride so it is a good thing that I enjoy fun fairs. Only last week, I mentioned the opening of Hentsch Man and 143 and now Onetruesaxon have appeared on one of my favourite London streets, Lambs Conduit Street. Following the opening of the Onetruesaxon ‘Casual Tailor’ Store in the heart of their home town of Nottingham a year ago, the label has brought their Casual Tailor style store to London for a six week period only.

Inside the pop up store.

Although I am somewhat familiar with the brand it is great to be able to see the garments up close. For me, this is one of the most obvious positives with regard to Pop Up retail spaces. The brand, set up by "ordinary blokes obsessed with decent clothing" are showcasing premium quality garments from their Spring / Summer 09 collections, as well as those of their friends from the world of classic design and style, including Corgi, Trumper and Sunspel.

The bags are a particular favourite.

With echoes of the ‘Casual Tailor’ store nestled in a quiet side street of Nottingham’s lace market, the quiet community of Lambs Conduit Street seems like the perfect destination for the gentleman’s outfitter styled store. The street (as profiled by Monocle last year) symbolises what can be achieved in retail areas as it champions a real community spirit and this pop up store fits in nicely.

Saturday, 16 May 2009

Mattias (left) wears a suit and shirt by Gucci, Tie by ErmenegildoZegna, shoes by Jil Sander and vintage hat from What Comes Around Goes Around. Mattias wears a suit by BottegaVeneta, shirt by J.Presss, shoes by Emporio Armani and hat by BurberryProrsum.

The Legends of the Fall editorial from the latest issue of VMAN has certainly caught the attention of the blogosphere and rightfully so because it really is something. It has captured my imagination more than anything my eyes have focussed on these past few months. The classic tailored suits, iconic sportswear and military-inspired pieces shot here by Kaiser Lagerfeld hark back to the sumptuous illustrations by J.C. Leyendecker. Leyendecker's name was not familiar to me before I cam across this editorial but his illustrations certainly were. Leyendecker's work depicts sartorial elegance, patrician demeanor, a certain frostiness, and an identifiable masculinity.

Leyendecker is best known for his creation of the archetype of the fashionable American male with his advertisements for Arrow Collar. Leyendecker’s Arrow Collar Man—a mascot for the menswear company Cluett, Peabody & Co.—became one of first real advertising campaigns and produced the first sex symbol of either gender. In a campaign lasting twenty-five years, Leyendecker portrayed an archetypal American masculinity that was equal parts football hero and urbane man-about-town.

Whether clutching a briar pipe or guiding a winsome debutante across the dance floor, the Arrow Collar Man embodied a vision of American manhood that was both rugged and refined—every woman’s dream. The VMAN shoot as styled by the wonderful Jay Massacret and shot by Largerfeld certainly taps in to this same vision of American masculinity. If these images were being used to try and sell me something then I have no doubt they would succeed. I will leave you with the rest of the delightful editorial to savour and enjoy...

Friday, 15 May 2009

Is your Friday lacking a little glamour? Well, the trailer for Rob Marshall's Nine should give you that much needed shot of glamour to kick start your weekend. If Day Lewis is dancing then it is time to slip in to your best dancing shoes and do the same, the weekend is here after all.

The film is described as a vibrant musical which follows the life of famous film director Guido Contini (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis whilst balancing the numerous women in his life. As EJ will tell you, I am a little hesitant when it comes to musicals but I would watch Mr. Day-Lewis in anything. The abundance of beautiful women including Penelope Cruz, Sofia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson and (even) Nicole Kidman (I won't mention 'Fergie' here) all add to the equation and I'll certainly sit back and watch all of the beautiful people. Here's to the weekend!

Thursday, 14 May 2009

The small Welsh town of Monmouth was not known to for providing great menswear but Daniel Jenkins has single-handedly put the town on the men's style map. As a store owner Dan has a clear vision on menswear and the designers he wants to sell which is why we chose him to continue our Style Stalking. Stocking great pieces from the likes of Lou Dalton, Satyenkumar, SivStodal, and i and Stansfield (to name just a few of our favourites) the store does not stock anything that Dan would not feel happy in himself but let's find out what he wears over the course of a week... here are the first four days:

Day One: Managing to control my dogs Hector (whippet) Inigo (Cocker spaniel puppy on left) Vesper (cockerspaniel puppy on right - I think they are identical though).Stansfield Shirtand i trousersRaf Simons T-shirt (non vis)Wellies (not sure... just generic ones from Millets)Hair by the grace of god (and not yet booked hair cut).

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

For the last few months we've been collecting together the recommendations of our interviewees of places to go to shop, eat, drink and generally enjoy yourself. We've now put these together on one handy map, along with details of who recommended it and a link to the place's website where possible. This is going to be very much a work in progress and we will be adding new shops and the like as we discover them or as they are recommended to us. Feel free to comment with anything you feel that we should add and we'll no doubt include your recommendations as well.

The night before last, I partook in one of my guiltiest of pleasures and encountered news I just had to share with you (I promise there is nothing to be frightened of, please continue reading). This time, my guilty pleasure has nothing to do with magazines which I really should not read given my gender and age (I stand by Teen Vogue, ha!) but involved me lying in a bubble bath whilst listening to the Monocle Weekly. During the latter stages of my soak (just before my skin resembled a prune) my ears pricked up by the introduction of Alexia Hentsch and the mention of her new pop-up shop, Hentsch Man. The store has opened today in Notting Hill and will be open for two weeks. I plan on visiting this weekend to inspect the well designed Spring/Summer wardrobe stables on offer which include slim fitted shirts, tailored trousers, Mediterranean espadrilles and plimsolls. The design ethos of the brand and the idea of the pop up store struck a chord with me and I just had to let you know about it.

There really isn't too much information on the store or even the brand available but my curiosity and love of all things pop up led me to their website (which has just been launched). We are told that Hentsch Man is a simple, elegant and wearable menswear brand which offers classic wardrobe basics, something my Summer wardrobe is actually in need of so a trip to the store this weekend is most timely. The idea behind the brand evolved from a seemingly simple search (in theory not practice) for the perfect white shirt which is a staple in any man’s wardrobe yet so difficult to find. The two friends (Max and Alexia) set about designing their perfect shirt and when they felt they got it right, they placed a small order. Without compromising their core values of simplicity and function, the pair expanded the shirt collection, adding trousers, boxer shorts, and footwear, to create a more complete menswear collection which has now found its temporary home. Inspired by an article in Monocle's retail issue they decided to find a location for their pop up store and after searching and searching they found the Kensington Park Road location.

A selection of Hentsch Man displayed on the site. For them 'their wardrobe is important to them, but not their primary concern.'

Hentsch Man is aimed at young men with a refined aesthetic sense and I'm sure most of you will fit in to that category. The products are aimed at people know a good thing when they see it, but don’t necessarily have the time or the patience to scour the earth to furnish their wardrobe. The store aims to be a one-stop-shop for basic staples – from a classic white shirt, to well-tailored trousers and the occasional accessory. You might just be a Hentsch Man this Spring/Summer and in my mind there really is nothing wrong with that.

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Style Salvage is blog about how men could (and do) dress. Started back in June 2007, the blog aims to showcase emerging and established design talent alike. It features style commentary, 7 day style diaries, interviews with designers, journalists and shop owners mixed in with the occasional personal style shot.